Some Thais have also produced an animated life of the Buddha movie (I think it came out at the start of last year). I haven't seen it myself, but my friend Eisel Mazard gave it one of his characteristically caustic reviews

Several days ago, I saw the "major motion picture" titled _The Life of Buddha_ --a Thai-made cartoon, that will doubtless define many of the assumptions about the historical Buddha for some time to come (at least within Thailand, if not beyond, as English-translation DVDs are available).

Precisely because the film is regarded as an attempt to portray the historical Buddha, its wildly unhistorical character is difficult to behold without a wince.

Textual scholars will immediately recognize the events as hastily cobbled together from Ashvaghosa and the Lalitavastra --viz., non-Pali, non-Theravada, Sanskrit sources (now considered "Mahayana").

Thus, while the source material selected is fundamentally alien to the tradition of Buddhism in Thailand, the film-makers have attempted to impose "Thai" elements in a manner both artless and anachronistic.

Perhaps the most striking example: they depict Devadatta reading Pali from a manuscript written in Khom (classical Cambodian) orthography! Here is ancient Cambodia written into ancient India (with the ocean and the passage of over a thousand years that separates the two simply smeared). Perhaps more disturbing: the Buddha's followers are depicted as exclusively male, with no female monastics of any kind --apparently just to avoid Thai discomfort on this issue (currently it is illegal for female renunciates to beg with bowl in Thailand, and charges are pressed on this from time to time, to keep the women "in their place" in the modern Thai notion of Buddhism --notwithstanding what the historical Buddha taught, or that he had female renunciates as disciples, etc.).

A long cataloge of such historical errors could be provided --and, presumably, somebody in a department of cultural studies will do so eventually.

As with many modern attempts to re-tell the life of the Buddha (even in contemporary Sri Lanka), the main defects of the narrative are:(1) the focus is almost exclusively on "magical" events surrounding the birth, childhood, and death of the Buddha --viz., omitting the actual philosophy and adult life that made the historical figure worth remembering in the first place,(2) instead of philosophic debate, the Buddha is simply depicted traversing the countryside of India to perform banal miracles (e.g., fighting a magic snake, making it rain indoors, etc.) to "win" the "faith" of converts --and this is both fundamentally boring to behold, and wildly extraneous to any reason (secular or religious) for respecting the historical Buddha or his teaching,(3) there is neither any interest in the social/historical reality that the Buddha spoke to (in India of his time), nor is there any interest in the social/historical reality that the audience now inhabits, and that the content of the film might address.

Under heading #3, we could note that a Sri Lankan (or mainland Indian) film along the same lines would at least mention the existence of the caste system, and the Buddha's critique thereof; but not so for the Thais. It would also be easy to imagine some other film-maker having an interest in issues that vitiate modern Thailand, such as alcoholism, drug-addiction, prostitution, etc. --but this is purely "cloud-cuckoo-land" filmmaking.

The film is garbage; however, the monks and laypeople that now step forward in praise of it (as an accurate depiction of the historical Buddha) do us a great favor in discrediting themselves.

The same may well be said of the craze for "Jatukam" amulets in Thailand; it is as if the most corrupt had devised these as a means of having the worst elements of Thai monasticism identify themselves, at the same time convincing all the dunces to wear a sign around their necks in public to declare their own gullibility.

The saddening question is this: will there ever be an interest in the historical material that the Pali suttas hold, such as might challenge the widespread assumptions built up from half-remembered legends of Ashavghosa, the Lalitavastra, and Jataka fables ("Wet-san-don", etc.)?

In Thailand, the answer is "no". The Buddha they believe in shaved his head, and yet maintained a full head of hair. He evidently never said, wrote, or recited anything of philosophic significance, and is instead an object of worship simply on account of his (supposed) royal blood and conjurer's tricks.

So far as the dramatist's art is concerned, I here recall Schopenhauer's comment on Dante's epic poems: the first (inferno) had a great deal of dramatic interest, the second (purgatory) less so, and then the last (paradise) was an utter bore, as it simply floated from one cloud to the next, with no suffering or conflict to provide dramatic interest. So too, here, the film-makers never considered that it might be an aesthetic mistake to delete suffering --not only because the Buddha's philosophy is (in some sense) "about" suffering, but also because drama (_per se_) requires suffering to satisfy the requirements of the stage. If we turn ancient India into paradise, and put a halo around all of the characters' heads, all that remains is for a bunch of figures to float around, making resounding declarations in echoing voices --viz., there is, strictly speaking, no plot.

But ancient India was no such paradise, and the other parties the Buddha debated with (and preached) to provided much more than just mute astonishment before a haloed spectacle --they provided real opposition based on their own religious and philosophical views, and, moreover, they confronted him with real problems based on their own experience.

There was (and is) "a point" and "a plot" to the Pali canon; and it's a shame that both the film-makers, and so much of the Thai audience, simply miss the point.

Dhammanando wrote:As with many modern attempts to re-tell the life of the Buddha (even in contemporary Sri Lanka), the main defects of the narrative are:(1) the focus is almost exclusively on "magical" events surrounding the birth, childhood, and death of the Buddha --viz., omitting the actual philosophy and adult life that made the historical figure worth remembering in the first place,(2) instead of philosophic debate, the Buddha is simply depicted traversing the countryside of India to perform banal miracles (e.g., fighting a magic snake, making it rain indoors, etc.) to "win" the "faith" of converts --and this is both fundamentally boring to behold, and wildly extraneous to any reason (secular or religious) for respecting the historical Buddha or his teaching,(3) there is neither any interest in the social/historical reality that the Buddha spoke to (in India of his time), nor is there any interest in the social/historical reality that the audience now inhabits, and that the content of the film might address.

The film is garbage;

There was (and is) "a point" and "a plot" to the Pali canon; and it's a shame that both the film-makers,

I think the new movie based on Old Path White Clouds will be considerably different than these animated versions. TNH avoided most of the references to the magical and miraculous and focused on the greatness of the Buddha's philosophy and teachings.

Of course, most of us here who are pretty versed in the Suttas and historical India so I'm sure we will still find plenty of 'mistakes' and other inaccuracies with the new movie, when it comes out.

[quote="TheDhamma]I think the new movie based on Old Path White Clouds will be considerably different than these animated versions. TNH avoided most of the references to the magical and miraculous and focused on the greatness of the Buddha's philosophy and teachings.

Of course, most of us here who are pretty versed in the Suttas and historical India so I'm sure we will still find plenty of 'mistakes' and other inaccuracies with the new movie, when it comes out. [/quote]

If memory serves the maker was going to do a film version a while ago but it was very contraversial due to the planed layout or storyline it was going to have. but I think TNH does focus more on the philosophy & teachings than the godlyness (flobw) which can be found in certain Mahayana schools, although certainly it will be of a more Mahayana feel than Theravadan.

I have seen the cartoon, it was on youtube a while ago btw

This offering maybe right, or wrong, but it is one, the other, both, or neither!Blog,-Some Suttas Translated,Ajahn Chah."Others will misconstrue reality due to their personal perspectives, doggedly holding onto and not easily discarding them; We shall not misconstrue reality due to our own personal perspectives, nor doggedly holding onto them, but will discard them easily. This effacement shall be done."

How about "Sideways"- have any of you seen that? I felt there were similarities to "Groundhog Day"..

Also, I watched District 9 last week and thought about the dharma themes immediately. The alien scientist character "Christopher" seemed to have a better understanding of metta and karuna then most of the human characters. I watched an interview with the director, this seemed to be what he hoped to convey, how nonhuman beings may often act more "humanely" then humans.. The hero too, goes thru changes where metta, compassion and unselfishness are key themes.

"As Buddhists, we should aim to develop relationships that are not predominated by grasping and clinging. Our relationships should be characterised by the brahmaviharas of metta (loving kindness), mudita (sympathetic joy), karuna (compassion), and upekkha (equanimity)."~post by Ben, Jul 02, 2009

christopher::: wrote:The alien scientist character "Christopher" seemed to have a better understanding of metta and karuna then most of the human characters.

I knew it! You are an alien scientist then! Which planet??

ha ha ha...

Oh, another good one I watched recently, The Manchurian Candidate, 2004 version. I thought the tension between that free spark of goodness and kindness in the two main characters and the destructive "programming" they struggled with is kinda how samsara works, lol... The Manchurian organization and how it works in your head, creating mindlessness, kinda being like Mara... or maybe Madison avenue...

"As Buddhists, we should aim to develop relationships that are not predominated by grasping and clinging. Our relationships should be characterised by the brahmaviharas of metta (loving kindness), mudita (sympathetic joy), karuna (compassion), and upekkha (equanimity)."~post by Ben, Jul 02, 2009

“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.” - Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:in mountain clefts and chasms,loud gush the streamlets,but great rivers flow silently.- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Ben wrote:Then again, one could always turn the TV off and go and meditate!

Thanks Ben. I don't watch movies that often. If anything, its this damn computer that i realize i need to turn off more.

"As Buddhists, we should aim to develop relationships that are not predominated by grasping and clinging. Our relationships should be characterised by the brahmaviharas of metta (loving kindness), mudita (sympathetic joy), karuna (compassion), and upekkha (equanimity)."~post by Ben, Jul 02, 2009

Ben wrote:Then again, one could always turn the TV off and go and meditate!

Thanks Ben. I don't watch movies that often. If anything, its this damn computer that i realize i need to turn off more.

Yeah, me too Chris! I have to remind myself that hanging out here is no substitute for actual meditative practice. What invariably happens is that I get can so absorbed with something or rather here that if I am not careful I find myself late at night too tired to sit. And as you know, as a moderator, sometimes its that little bit harder to extract oneself.So, with anything, one must learn balance.Kind regards

Ben

“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.” - Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:in mountain clefts and chasms,loud gush the streamlets,but great rivers flow silently.- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Indeed Ben, i know, exactly what you mean. In that respect its been such a blessing to be "unemployed"...

"As Buddhists, we should aim to develop relationships that are not predominated by grasping and clinging. Our relationships should be characterised by the brahmaviharas of metta (loving kindness), mudita (sympathetic joy), karuna (compassion), and upekkha (equanimity)."~post by Ben, Jul 02, 2009

I guess not of those films would break the precept of headless entertaining

Just that! *smile*...We Buddhists must find the courage to leave our temples and enter the temples of human experience, temples that are filled with suffering. If we listen to Buddha, Christ, or Gandhi, we can do nothing else. The refugee camps, the prisons, the ghettos, and the battlefields will become our temples. We have so much work to do. ... Peace is Possible! Step by Step. - Samtach Preah Maha Ghosananda "Step by Step" http://www.ghosananda.org/bio_book.html

BUT! it is important to become a real Buddhist first. Like Punna did: Punna Sutta Nate sante baram sokham _()_